Police launch crackdown on speeding motorists

Random checks to be stepped up across the Thames Valley this week

Thames Valley Police is partnering with police forces across Europe to launch a crackdown on speeding motorists.

From today (Monday) until Sunday TVP will be taking part in the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) campaign to tackle drivers committing speeding offences.

Across the Thames Valley area random checks will be carried out at all times of the day and night with drivers who are caught being issued anything from a fixed penalty notice to a court summons.

Sgt Chris Appleby from the Joint Roads Policing Unit said: “Excessive or inappropriate speed has a devastating impact on the safety of road users, increasing both the risk of a crash and the severity of the consequences.

“Across Europe it is estimated that speeding contributes to as many as one third of all crashes resulting in death, and is the most important contributory factor to road deaths and serious injuries.

According to police in 2013, 3,064 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes in the UK where speed was a factor.

Sgt Appleby added: “The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph compared to at 30mph, and every day on our roads an average of five people will die and 65 will be seriously injured in collisions where speed may be a factor.”

Mainly they will be sat in the layby the other side of Woolhampton, Reading bound, to try and catch those who have been through Woolhampton at 3mph, just in case they speed up a tiny bit before they are supposed to. I agree with the speed limit, but surely there is somewhere with a higher priority for a speed camera, somewhere slightly more dangerous like A340?